Things to Consider When Buying A Home

Buying one of Crary Real Estates’ Grand Forks homes is an exciting period in your life. However, if you’re not fully informed, your new home may lose its charm quickly when you discover that you didn’t factor in certain elements. There are compromises that often need to be made, but it’s important to know what you’re willing to compromise on and what you’re not. Here are some tips to help you find the home that fits you best.

It’s fun to look through the various listing sites and see what is available, but you really shouldn’t do this until you know how much you can afford. It’s too easy to get your heart set on something that is out of your price range. When starting any house hunt, it’s best to understand how much you can afford. That isn’t just the mortgage. You need to include any additional costs such as property taxes, energy bills, waste pickup, home insurance, repairs, maintenance, and other factors that go into owning a home. We offer an online mortgage calculator, as well as other tips on buying and selling a home that can make the process easier.

You should also try to be pre-approved for a mortgage before seriously starting your home search. This makes it easier for you to act more quickly if you find a house you really like and don’t want to miss out to other prepared buyers. Plus, pre-approval shows the seller that you’re serious and ready to purchase.

Once you have a clear view of your finances, you should make a list of what you absolutely must have in your new home, things you want but will compromise on, and things you would like but can live without. This information, along with your estimated budget, helps you narrow down your list of potential homes. Think about the overall layout of the home, and sizes of the rooms to make sure the home is laid out in a way that makes the best use of all space and will be comfortable.

As well as deciding on the necessary elements of the home itself, consider your work commute, schools, access to daily needs like grocery stores, and any other features you want in your neighborhood and community. You may find a great home that fits your needs, but if it’s too far away, will it really be worth it?

There are some features of a home – electricity, plumbing, HVAC, etc. – that are important, but hard to test on your own. When buying a home, even a brand-new home, make sure you get a third-party home inspector to come in and do a thorough check for issues that may not be obvious. You can always negotiate for a lower price to make up for repairs that need to be done, or you can have the current owner take care of the issues before you purchase the home.

This will get you started on the path to home ownership. Whether buying one of the pre-owned or brand new Grand Forks homes, turn to Crary Real Estate to help you find your ideal home. Contact us today to get started on this path to your new home.

Categorised in: 2023 Design Trends, benefits of new construction, Community Profile, Things to Consider When Buying A Home, Things to Consider When Choosing a New Neighborhood, Things To Do

This post was written by Crary Real Estate